IT'S GOOD NEWS

Love is a science. Or is it?

There’s no rhyme or reason for why people fall in, or out, of love. Total opposites attract and seemingly perfect couples fall apart out of nowhere. My single friends have been big fans of dating apps in recent years, which as I perceive it, work more like a virtual reality game than a sure-fire way to find love.

From the comfort of a mobile phone screen the power is literally in your hands and a swipe left (or is it right?) could decide your fate for the rest of your life. Or maybe just for the weekend.

What is fairly certain in my opinion though, is that love cannot be found through a mathematical equation or scientific experiment. If it really were that simple, surely a solution would have been solved many moons ago and divorce rates would be at their lowest, not increasing?

One popular dating website, eHarmony, has recently had an advert banned after suggesting its way of matching couples is “scientifically-proven” and they had on the advert; “It’s time science had a go at love”.

The misleading advert also bluntly said: “Imagine being able to stack the odds of finding lasting love entirely in your favour” and goes on to suggest their system of matching couples is “scientifically-proven” and “decodes the mystery of compatibility” and so forth… Fairly hefty claims if you’re looking for long term partner!

eHarmony bosses have fought back at the claims, arguing that it matches singles using “sophisticated matching standards designed by PhD psychologists”. Apparently, there’s a fancy algorithm that requires users to complete questionnaires to determine their like and dislikes, pet peeves and quirky interests to find their one and only soulmate.

The advert has since faced claims of being ‘fake news’ and the phrase ‘scientifically-proven’ should only be used in circumstances which are just that.

I’m all for love and looking for ‘the one’, but like I said, I certainly don’t believe there’s an equation out there which will guarantee you find your forever honey. But you could certainly be forgiven for thinking that eHarmony are taking advantage of innocent people’s good nature in making these claims. There are many who truly believe they’ll find love through a proven, scientific algorithm (the Sheldon Coopers of the world, perhaps).

The banned advert is a minor setback for eHarmony and despite doing their best to argue their point to prove they really do match love through science, I’m sure their database of loyal and hopeful matches is still waiting with bated breath for their number one bae to knock at their door. eHarmony’s smart slogans (“brains behind the butterflies”) and general worldwide popularity will certainly make up for a few lost customers who don’t believe in ‘science’.

Our website uses cookies. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookies Policy. You can find out more about how we use cookies, including how to opt out from our use of cookies here